Package and parts thereof



H. w. ROBINSON FACKAGE AND PARTS THEREOF Filed Dec. 13,

INVENTOR fiizy IV, fliiwwz BY 4m ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 10, 1939 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE PACKAGE AN D PARTS THEREOF Application December 13,1935, Serial No. 54,159

1 Claim.

The present invention relates to a sealed package and the parts thereofand more particularly to a sealed package provided with a member fordispensing the contents of the package.

Various products such as mustard, jelly, jam, salad dressing, picklesand the like are usually packed in suitable containers provided withcaps adapted to reseal the containers while the contents are beingdispensed. Generally, these products are used in small quantities andare removed from the container by a spoon, knife or other means.Products such as mustard, pickles and the like, due to the acid therein,have a tendency to attack a metal spoon or knife, therefore, it isdesirable to use a glass or wooden spoon, fork or paddle which issanitary and not subject to attack by the product. The housewife seldomhas such devices available. In addition, such products and many othersare taken along to beach parties, picnics and the like, where the usualkitchen utensils are not available and it is even more difficult toobtain a suitable dispensing means. In order to accommodate theconsumer, it has been found desirable to sell or to give away adispensing means with the package. To prevent the clerk from forgettingthe dispensing means, the latter preferably is attached to the package.For these reasons there is and has been a great demand for asatisfactory package with a dispensing means attached thereto. Attemptshave been made to satisfy this demand, but the devices have beenexpensive, complicated or impractical to make and apply or else did nothold the dispensing means securely and occasioned complaints by reasonof the loss of the dispensing means.

The present invention aims to overcome the above objections by providingan inexpensive sealed package having a dispensing member attachedthereto in a convenient manner, and further aims to provide a sealedpackage having a cap sealed thereto which may be readily removed by acap removing member, the cap removing member being utilized to hold thedispensing member to the container, thereby simplifying theconstructions of the package and minimizing the cost thereof.

An object of the present invention is to provide a simple, inexpensivepackage having a dispensing member securely attached thereto.

Another object of the invention is to attach a dispensing member to acontainer in a convenient practical manner so that the member will notbe lost during packing, shipping or handling of the container.

Another object of the invention is to provide a package having a capsealed thereto which is readily removed by a suitable cap removingmemher, which may be utilized to hold a dispensing means in place on thepackage.

Another object of the invention is to utilize a cap removing member forattaching a dispensing member to the container, thereby reducing thecost of the package to a minimum.

Another object of the invention is to clamp the dispensing memberagainst the container by means of a cap removing member which is held inplace by a closure cap sealed on the container.

A further object of the invention is to provide a container having agroove therein or ribs thereon for holding a dispensing member againstsidewise movement with respect to the container.

Other and further objects of the invention will be obvious upon anunderstanding of the illustrative embodiment about to be described, orwill be indicated in the appended claim, and various advantages notreferred to herein will occur to one skilled in the art upon employmentof the invention in practice.

A preferred embodiment of the invention has been chosen for purposes ofillustration and description and is shown in the accompanying drawing,forming a part of the specification, wherein:

Fig. l is an elevational View, partly in section, illustrating apreferred embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevational view taken at right angles withrespect to Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line 4-4 on Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary elevational view illustrating another embodimentof the invention;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken along the line 5-43 on Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating a modification ofthe container; and,

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating means for holdingmore securely the lower end of the dispensing member in place.

Referring again to the drawing, and more particularly to Figs. 1 and 4thereof, there is shown a glass container I having a body portion of anydesired shape, illustrated herein as substantially elliptical withdecorative panels. The upper end of the container preferably has anexternal zone 2 extending downwardly a short distance from the rim andterminating in an annular groove or shoulder 4 adapted to serve forholding a closure cap 5 sealed on the container, as describedhereinafter.

In order to facilitate the attachment of a dispensing means 6 to thecontainer, there is provided a vertical groove or channel 1 extendingfrom the bottom to the top of the body part of the container adapted toreceive the dispensing member 6, herein illustrated as a paddle. Whilethe channel 1 may be located at any desired point, it is preferablylocated at one of the ends of the major horizontal axis of the body partof the container, if the container is substantially elliptical in shape.If desired, the groove may be shallow at its upper end (Fig. 3) and maybe substantially deeper at its lower end (Fig. 4) to facilitate moldingthe container. Preferably, also, the channel is located at the moldparting line 8 of the container, the mold parting line preferablycoinciding with the middle of the channel. Directly above the upper endof the channel I, there is provided a pair of recesses 9 spacedsubstantially equidistant circumferentially of the container from thechannel I and the mold parting line of the container. The recesses 9extend inwardly substantially chordally of the container to receive theinwardly bent ends of a memher I I adapted to hold the dispensing member6 in place and adapted also to serve as a cap removing tool for removingthe cap. The cap removing or paddle holding member H may be of anydesired shape but, as illustrated herein, is preferably V-shaped at itslower end, as shown at I2, and made from a single piece of wire, the twofree ends of which are bent inwardly, as shown at ID, to engage and holdin the recesses 9. The lower end of the V is located adjacent the upperend of the channel 1 to engage and hold the dispensing member 6 inplace, as described hereinafter.

The closure illustrated herein preferably comprises a cover portion i 4having an annular groove l at its outer periphery for receiving a gasketl 6 adapted to seal the rim of the container, and a depending skirt I!having suitable crimps or inwardly extending projections I 9substantially at its lower edge for engaging the annular groove orshoulder 4. Preferably, the lower edge of the skirt of the cap is flaredoutwardly so that a sleeve may be telescoped over the skirt of the capto force the indented or corrugated portion into firm engagement withthe shoulder 4 for holding the cap in sealed position. It will be notedthat the skirt of the cap extends over and conceals the recesses 9 andthe upper ends of the cap removing, or dispenser holding member H. Whenthe lower end of the member II is raised, the crimped bottom of theskirt of the cap is stretched and raised upwardly at one side to pry thecap off the container.

While the dispensing means 5 is illustrated in the drawing as a paddlehaving a paddle portion and handle portion 2|, it will be understoodthat any desired type of dispensing means may be utilized, for example,a spoon, pickle fork, or the like. While the paddle preferably is madeof wood, other materials may be used, such as glass, Monel metal,stainless steel, Celluloid, synthetic resins, or like materials whichare sanitary and which are not attacked by the product. If desired,also, the dispensing member may and preferably is placed in an envelope22 which may be made of transparent paper, Cellophane or the like. Theenvelope may enclose the entire dispensing member or may, as shown inthe drawing, enclose only the spoon or paddle portion 20 thereof. Thepurpose of the envelope is to improve the appearance of the package andalso to protect the dispensing member from dust, dirt and the like. Inthe preferred embodiment illustrated in the drawing, the paddle portionof the dispensing member is uppermost and is preferably wider than thegroove 1 in the container so that the diverging sides 24 of the paddleintermediate the handle and paddle portion may engage the sides of thegroove at the upper end thereof. The sides of the groove 1 may likewisediverge to conform to the shape of the diverging portion of the paddle.Likewise, in the preferred form, the V-shaped portion 12 of the member Hwhich holds the paddle in position is shaped to engage the divergingportions 24 of the paddle so that the shape of the member I l, as wellas the sides of the upper end of the groove 1, are adapted to preventthe paddle from sliding downwardly in the groove, as well as to hold itin the groove. The lower end of the member H preferably is curvedinwardly toward the container and paddle to engage and press against thepaddle to resiliently hold it in position, the member ll being held inposition by the pressure of the skirt of the closure cap thereon. Thecap removing member H can be readily raised by the consumer either withthe fingers or by inserting a knife or other instrument under it. Inaddition, the paddle may a be utilized for pulling the cap removingmember l sufficiently far from the side of the jar to get hold of theremoving member with the fingers if any difficulty is encountered inthis connection.

In Figs. 5 and 6 another embodiment of the present invention is shown,wherein the container is provided with a substantially circular grooveor recess 25 extending along the sides, front or back of the container,and which is adapted to receive a dispensing member 26 having asubstantially circular or oval handle portion 21. In order to hold thedispensing member securely against the container, the cap removingmember is provided with a substantially circular portion 29 at its lowerend conforming to the shape of the handle portion 2'! and adapted toclamp the dispensing member against the container and prevent relativemovement.

In Fig. 7 another modification is illustrated wherein a pair ofsubstantially vertical circumferentially spaced ribs 3| and anintermediate panel or recess 32 for seating the handle 2! of thedispensing member are provided at one side of the container. These ribsare adapted. to hold the handle of the dispensing member againstsidewise movement with respect to the container. The upper ends of theribs preferably engage the diverging portion of the dispensing member.It will be understood that other forms of ribs, grooves or channels maybe utilized, the three forms given herein being for illustrativepurposes.

In some instances, it may be desired to provide additional means forattaching the lower end 35 of the handle portion of the dispensingmember to the container. As illustrated in Fig. 8 such means maycomprise an upwardly facing shoulder 36 at the lower end of the grooveor channel 24 adapted to receive the free end 35 of the handle and holdit against downward movement with respect to the container. Also, ifdesired, a small label or strip 31 of paper, cloth or like material maybe glued or otherwise secured to the container so that it extends acrossthe panel groove I or panel 32 to provide a suitable pocket portion forholding the dispensing member against the container.

A preferred method of forming the packages, comprises molding thecontainer, attaching the cap removing member ii to the container byinserting the opposed ends i6 into the apertures 9, filling thecontainer with the product, and thereafter applying the cap When the capis sealed on the container, the skirt extends over the upper portions 3t(Fig. 1) of the cap removing member and clamps the cap removing membersecurely against the container. The dispensing member may then beinserted in the channel 7 and under the end of the holder II. Ifnecessary or desirable, a knife or other tool may be inserted under themember I l to raise it slightly to facilitate insertion of thedispensing member. The dispensing member is then moved downwardly untilthe V-shaped portions, or other conforming portions, of the dispensingmember and cap removing member engage and register to lock thedispensing member against further downward movement. Thereafter, the capremoving member is released and is adapted to clamp the dispensingmember securely against the container. It will, of course, be understoodthat when the cap removing member is pried away from the container, asshown in Fig. 2, it is not raised sufficiently to lift the cap orotherwise impair the seal. Due to the resilience of the cap skirt andthe wire removing member, the removing member is adapted to yieldslightly to facilitate forcing the dispensing member beneath it.

When the package reaches the ultimate consumer and is to be opened, thelower end [2 of the cap removing member is engaged and is liftedupwardly (as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2) whereby the cap is liftedfrom the container and the dispensing member is released. The dispensingmember may then be removed from the envelope and used to remove thecontents of the package. After a desired quantity of the product hasbeen dispensed, the cap may be rescaled upon the container by pressingit downwardly so that the crimps l9 lock beneath the shoulder G. Thedispensing member may be washed or cleaned and attached again to thecontainer so that it is in a convenient place whenever it is desired todispense the remaining contents of the package.

If desired, the dispensing members may be in the form of an ornamentalspoon made of glass or Celluloid so that they may be used as drinkmixers after the product has been dispensed. This enhances the value ofthe package to the consumers, since the consumers feel that they aregetting an additional premium.

It will be seen that the present invention provides a simple, practicaland inexpensive package which solves both the problems of removing thecap and dispensing the product. The consumer needs no additionalappliances or implements to open the cap or dispense the product andthereby can use the package more conveniently. The dispensing member issecurely attached in position prior to opening the package, and ifdesired, while the product is being dispensed. The dispensing membersmay be attractive in design or color to enhance the package and may bein various forms so that they are useful after they have served todispense the product. The parts of the package are rugged inconstruction and can readily withstand any rough usage to which they maybe subjected.

It will be understood that the term paddle or spoon is used herein toinclude, broadly, any dispensing member or utensil.

As various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangementof the parts herein without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention and without sacrificing any of its advantages, it is to beunderstood that all matter herein is to be interpreted as illustrativeand not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

A package comprising a container, a dispensing member, a wire membermounted on said container for clamping said dispensing member againstsaid container, and a member secured to said container for holding saidclamping member against said dispensing member, said dispensing memberhaving a substantially V-shaped shoulder and said clamping member havinga cooperating substantially V-shaped portion for preventing movement ofsaid dispensing member with respect to said container.

HUGH W. ROBINSON.

